Tuesday, November 5
Mobile, Ala.
8:00 PM (ET)
Rutgers University
at
South Alabama
Photo by: (Ben Solomon/New York Red Bulls)
Game 1: Women's Hoops at South Alabama
Nov 04 | Women's Basketball
Head coach C. Vivian Stringer begins her 25th season at Rutgers one win shy of 500 at the helm of the Scarlet Knights.
MOBILE, Ala. (Nov. 4, 2019) - Rutgers women's basketball opens the 2019-20 season at South Alabama on Tuesday, Nov. 5 at 8 p.m. ET (7 p.m. CT) at the Mitchell Center. The Scarlet Knights begin the new campaign in the home state of sophomore Zipporah Broughton and freshmen Maori Davenport and Joiya Maddox.
Beginning her 25th season as Rutgers' head coach, C. Vivian Stringer is one win away from No. 500 at the helm of the Scarlet Knights. Stringer is the winningest coach in Rutgers basketball history, with a record of 499-277 good for a .643 win percentage since taking the job in 1995. The milestone would come just short of the one-year anniversary of Stringer joining the 1,000 career win club, becoming just the fifth NCAA Division I women's hoops coach to accomplish the legendary feat. Stringer is the fourth winningest active coach in women's basketball.
* Denotes active coach
(Records through the 2018-19 season)
South Alabama went 25-11 overall and 9-9 in the Sun Belt last season. The Jaguars played in the Sun Belt Tournament championship game, falling by one point to Little Rock. South Alabama accepted a bid to the WNIT, topping Lamar in the first round before a second round loss to Wyoming. The Jaguars return juniors Antoinette Lewis and Savannah Jones, who were both named Preseason First Team All-Sun Belt following a vote of the conference's 12 head coaches, while senior Shaforia Kines was a Third Team selection. Lewis was also chosen the Sun Belt preseason Player of the Year after averaging 14.9 points and 9.2 rebounds per game last winter.
NEW-LOOK KNIGHTS: Rutgers women's basketball enters the 2019-20 season without four of the top five leaders in games started from last winter. The eight returning Scarlet Knights (seven letterwinners) make up 29 percent of last year's games started.
ABOUT LAST YEAR: A historic 2018-19 season saw head coach C. Vivian Stinger reach the 1,000 career win milestone before the Scarlet Knights went on to their best Big Ten regular season finish in third place. Rutgers reached the Big Ten Tournament semifinals for the first time and earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament, its first appearance since 2015.
IN THE POLLS: Rutgers is receiving votes in both the AP (2) and ESPN/USA Today Coaches (4) Polls to start the season. The Scarlet Knights ranked as high as No. 14 in the nation last season (AP, Jan. 21).
WELCOME BACK: Rutgers returns eight players to the hardwood from last year's team.
• Redshirt junior guard Arella Guirantes is the returning leading scorer with 12.1 points per game from her 2018-19 campaign, her first "On the Banks" following a transfer from Texas Tech. The Bellport, New York native shot .816 from the free throw line and added 4.2 rebounds per game, 54 assists and 39 steals on her way to an All-Big Ten Honorable Mention.
• Sophomore guard Noga Peleg Pelc is the top returning three-point threat with 39 makes and a .379 clip.
• Redshirt senior guard Khadaizha Sanders returns for her final season after missing all of last year with an injury.
RUTGERS RECRUITS: C. Vivian Stringer welcomes five newcomers to the 2019-20 roster.
• Freshman center Maori Davenport is the No. 15 overall prospect and No. 2 post players according to espnW. She earned an invitation to tryout for the USA Women's U19 World Cup Team, and earned a gold medal with the FIBA American U18 Championship team.
• Freshman guard Joiya Maddox is the No. 28 guard prospect according to espnW after earning First Team USA Today All-USA Alabama honors and three consecutive Alabama Sports Writers Association All-State Team awards.
• Redshirt sophomore guard Alexis Morris transfers in from Baylor and will be eligible to begin play in 2020 at Purdue on Jan. 5. Morris was a five-star recruit who scored 9.4 points per game as a rookie in 2017-18.
• Rutgers is 14-10 in season openers during the C. Vivian Stringer era.
• The Scarlet Knights held 30 of 32 opponents last season under their scoring average. Over the past two seasons, RU has held 59 of its last 64 opponents under their scoring average.
• Guirantes ended the 2018-19 season scoring 16.4 points per game over the final seven games.
• RU put together its second best free throw efficiency season since 2002-03, connecting on a .727 clip as a team.
The Scarlet Knights host their 2019-20 home opener on Saturday, Nov. 9 at 2 p.m. against Coppin State at The RAC. Tickets are available here.
Follow Rutgers women's basketball on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Beginning her 25th season as Rutgers' head coach, C. Vivian Stringer is one win away from No. 500 at the helm of the Scarlet Knights. Stringer is the winningest coach in Rutgers basketball history, with a record of 499-277 good for a .643 win percentage since taking the job in 1995. The milestone would come just short of the one-year anniversary of Stringer joining the 1,000 career win club, becoming just the fifth NCAA Division I women's hoops coach to accomplish the legendary feat. Stringer is the fourth winningest active coach in women's basketball.
| Coach | Years | Won | Lost |
| Pat Summitt, Tenn | 38 | 1,098 | 208 |
| Tara VanDerveer, Stanford * | 40 | 1,067 | 247 |
| Geno Auriemma, UConn * | 34 | 1,062 | 139 |
| Barbara Stevens, Bentley * | 42 | 1,039 | 282 |
| Syliva Hatchell, UNC | 44 | 1,023 | 405 |
| C. Vivian Stringer, Rutgers * | 48 | 1,019 | 412 |
| Jim Foster, Chattanooga | 40 | 903 | 347 |
| Jody Conradt, Texas | 38 | 900 | 309 |
(Records through the 2018-19 season)
| THE SCOUT |
| HEAD-TO-HEAD |
| KNIGHT NOTES |
ABOUT LAST YEAR: A historic 2018-19 season saw head coach C. Vivian Stinger reach the 1,000 career win milestone before the Scarlet Knights went on to their best Big Ten regular season finish in third place. Rutgers reached the Big Ten Tournament semifinals for the first time and earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament, its first appearance since 2015.
IN THE POLLS: Rutgers is receiving votes in both the AP (2) and ESPN/USA Today Coaches (4) Polls to start the season. The Scarlet Knights ranked as high as No. 14 in the nation last season (AP, Jan. 21).
WELCOME BACK: Rutgers returns eight players to the hardwood from last year's team.
• Redshirt junior guard Arella Guirantes is the returning leading scorer with 12.1 points per game from her 2018-19 campaign, her first "On the Banks" following a transfer from Texas Tech. The Bellport, New York native shot .816 from the free throw line and added 4.2 rebounds per game, 54 assists and 39 steals on her way to an All-Big Ten Honorable Mention.
• Sophomore guard Noga Peleg Pelc is the top returning three-point threat with 39 makes and a .379 clip.
• Redshirt senior guard Khadaizha Sanders returns for her final season after missing all of last year with an injury.
RUTGERS RECRUITS: C. Vivian Stringer welcomes five newcomers to the 2019-20 roster.
• Freshman center Maori Davenport is the No. 15 overall prospect and No. 2 post players according to espnW. She earned an invitation to tryout for the USA Women's U19 World Cup Team, and earned a gold medal with the FIBA American U18 Championship team.
• Freshman guard Joiya Maddox is the No. 28 guard prospect according to espnW after earning First Team USA Today All-USA Alabama honors and three consecutive Alabama Sports Writers Association All-State Team awards.
• Redshirt sophomore guard Alexis Morris transfers in from Baylor and will be eligible to begin play in 2020 at Purdue on Jan. 5. Morris was a five-star recruit who scored 9.4 points per game as a rookie in 2017-18.
| TRENDING |
• The Scarlet Knights held 30 of 32 opponents last season under their scoring average. Over the past two seasons, RU has held 59 of its last 64 opponents under their scoring average.
• Guirantes ended the 2018-19 season scoring 16.4 points per game over the final seven games.
• RU put together its second best free throw efficiency season since 2002-03, connecting on a .727 clip as a team.
| UP NEXT |
Follow Rutgers women's basketball on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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